Went out today (for the first time in almost a year!) and although I loved it, I just found myself sitting down and spinning all the time instead of really engaging with the trail, if you know what I mean?

I’ve had some pretty nice bikes over the years, but some of the best/most memorable rides I’ve done were on a cheap singlespeed, botched together with parts from the classfieds.

I can’t help thinking that I might have more fun and learn to ride better, if I convert it to ss…

My husband however thinks I’m a nutter who just need to learn to stand up more (which is to be fair, not a bad point). He may also have accused me of just liking to fiddle with bikes for the sake of it 🙄

What do you reckon? Will it be more fun, or will I just regret it?!

I had a n sc chameleon that was set up geared for a year, then it went to ss mode and stayed there. I now have a geared fs but will be building a ss 29er for the winter. I say go for it they are great… and mrsvader say I prefer building bikes to riding them!! !)

It’ll be fine, and fun, and if you stick with it and ride it all the time, then you won’t regret it as you’ll be fast on it too!

He may also have accused me of just liking to fiddle with bikes for the sake of it

Christ, why don’t they make more of you?

I have quite a few bikes, my favourites are SS and cheap and cheerful. Ride them, don’t have to worry about them. Job done……

I’d just ride your bike a bit more than once a year first & see how you get on

Silly idea…you need at least 5 singlespeeds (race bike, fat bike, niche bike, uber niche bike, cheap beater etc…)

SSing certainly trained my brain that I can actually stand up, use my ‘new skill’ on my geared bike as well now.

Thanks guys. My gut says to go for it, I’m just a bit worried that if we go further afield (somewhere much hillier) that I’ll miss not having gears…?

Having said that, I found myself choosing my cheap and cheerful ss over my nice ti geared one when we went to Afan a couple of times and that’s fairly hilly, and I didn’t regret that… In fact, I made it up the climbs way faster/easier than on my geared bike (strange but true). Plus with the kids so young, it’s unlikely we’ll be doing anything other than local riding for a while I’d have thought.

Oh and timc – yes, not a bad point, but in fairness this has been the first opportunity I’ve had to get out this year (with the fitness to go with the opportunity anyway post babies, etc). Things are changing though and now we’ve moved and the girls are a little older, we’re hoping to get out MUCH more this year 😀

Oooh, I think I might just go for it!

Please keep the encouragement coming though… I particularly like the stuff about me being really fast on it! 😀

My SS clown wheeler has been my only bike for good few years now.
Not a fan of gears off road. Not an evangelist or anything. There’s something about the simplicity of it.
Drag it from the shed. Get on, pedal (or push), & steer. No faff.

I traded the cheap clown wheeler in for a posh one eventually, but it will never run gears.

God, you sound ace as a Wife… 🙂

SSing certainly trained my brain that I can actually stand up, use my ‘new skill’ on my geared bike as well now.

Ahhh, that’s exactly what I’m after as it was a while ago now but I’m sure that’s how I felt when I’ve had singlespeeds in the past…yes, there have been several 🙄

you need at least 5 singlespeeds

Hmmm, don’t get me started (see comment above), I already have a ss roadbike (my only roadbike), so it’s not that much of a stretch 😕

My only MTB has been a rigid SS for years now. Since 2007, I think?

Unfortunately, since I got a geared cx bike a year ago the SS feels really slow on the flat. As I have a longish road ride to the local trails, I find myself taking the geared cx instead of the SS MTB.

Not an evangelist or anything. There’s something about the simplicity of it.

Exactly. That’s why I love my road bike and I always ended up choosing the ss mtb over my really nice ti geared one. I just need to improve my fitness a bit more (which I’m actively doing) and I think it’ll be ace!

God, you sound ace as a Wife…

Mr. MountainMonkey is indeed grateful for my bike loving ways, but I think he just wishes I was little less obsessive sometimes! Having said that, he’s never complained when I’ve helped him justify a new frame or wheelset for himself!

miketually – so the key is to go ss, but not to buy a cx, right? 😉

I almost always ride my SS even though I have other bikes

instead of really engaging with the trail

650b ❓

ss is crap when you have a long road to cycle down, or you’re really done in and have a climb you’d rather take easy. Other than that, if you pick a gearing that suits you, it’s great.

You are a woman
He is a man

You actually need to ask who is right. 😕

Sweet. I’m decided… I’m going for it!

Thanks guys!

Me too!!!

Woohoo! Let’s hope it works out for both us!

Dinglespeed FTW I reckon! 😛

Only had to resort to the granny ring on the Cafall at Cwmcarn but nice to know it’s there if needed.

Learn to put power down. It’s as much mental as physical. Find steep hillls and tell yourself that the granny ring is wussing out. Make yourself use harder gears and put the effort in.

Store the geared components in a labelled bag, then know you can easily convert back any time in the future. That said both my mtbs have stayed as SS since I converted them.

Store the geared components in a labelled bag

er, why does it need to be labelled?
does it have to be a bag, or could she use a labelled box?

Without wanting to be too controversial, for that particular job, personally I’d use a none-labelled box, but that’s only as I have some clear ones that allow me to easily see the contents. They’re like a sort of industrial version of Tupperware. I think they’re designed to fit in the racking of a van, but I just have them on a shelf in the garage. They were here when we moved in.

I’d just lob it all in the spares box. The OP is a self-confessed fettler, so I’m sure she’ll put it to good use on some bike or other.

Black with a red lid is best…..

😯 You people! This is MADNESS I tells ya 😮

If you’re really not ‘engaging’ with the trail, why not just pick one gear and stick with it. That way you’ve got singlespeed when you want it, and gear options to fall back on. Then you can make an informed decision after a couple more rides 🙂

Learn to put power down. It’s as much mental as physical. Find steep hillls and tell yourself that the granny ring is wussing out. Make yourself use harder gears and put the effort in.

Totally agree that’s what I ‘should’ do, but I’m just not very good at it. I have a very strong self-reservation gene and so if I have an easier gear I WILL use it 🙄

If you’re really not ‘engaging’ with the trail, why not just pick one gear and stick with it. That way you’ve got singlespeed when you want it, and gear options to fall back on. Then you can make an informed decision after a couple more rides

That does sound very sensible… trouble is, I’ve never really been sensible when it comes to bikes!

I’ve pretty much made my mind up to go for it, but I will do one more ride as you (and my much more sensible husband) suggests before I take the plunge though.

As for where to store the geared bits, that’s obviously a decision that will need to take considerably more thought. I do have a rather nice plastic box, but it is transparent not black with a red lid, so I don’t want to rush into anything I might later regret…

@Mamadirt – that’s very pretty! Been thinking of you now I’m finally getting fit again. One of my aims is to get fit enough to be able to ride Cwmcarn with you again – assuming you’d be up for that, of course?! 😀